Lee Foundation Kit is available at B&H

[Richard Lane]

In case anyone is interested the Lee Foundation Kit Filter Holder is available at B&H.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/87108-REG/LEE_Filters_FK_Foundation_Kit_Standard_4x4.html

Don't forget that it requires an adapter ring as well.

I know these things are hard to come by!

Good Luck,
Rich

[iND]

Richard

I have been wanting to get into this LEE system for some time.
As I have decided to that I like this type of filter system, trying to avoid buying different size filters for different lenses.

Could you outline for me exactly what I need beside this kit and the filters of course.

Do I need an adaptor ring for each size lens?

Thanks

[Richard Lane]

Sure, my pleasure!

1) Lee Foundation Kit

2) Common Adapter Rings are 77mm or 82mm, but depends on what your lenses are. These rings come in standard or wide. You don't need one for every lens, but some people buy them for convenience. You're better off getting the "wide adapter ring versions" so, as to reduce your chances of vignetting. The wide works on a regular lens, but the regular doesn't always work on a wide lens.
The only thing is that the wide rings can't accept regular lens caps (lee makes their own caps for this). You can buy the 82mm wide and then buy step-up rings from a 77mm lens if needed. I have the 82mm wide adapter and a 77mm to 82mm B+W step-up ring.

3) Graduated Neutral Density filters 4" x 6'' or 100mm x 150mm and 2mm thick are mostly available in resin, 1-stop, 2-stop ,and 3-stop these come in hard and soft transitions. Hard is for ocean horizons, plains or plateaus, and soft is for mountains, tree lines, and/or uneven terrain. These filters hold back the bright sky; they are darker on top and clear on the bottom. Schneider makes glass (higher quality) GND filters which are 4mm and of course thicker, which have the potential to vignette more with stacking a few. Lee and Singh-Ray are considered very good. Singh-ray also makes a Reverse ND Grad in various f-stops, for sunrise/sunsets which transitions from light, to dark and then to light again.

4) Solid Neutral Density Filters; Lee Glass 4" x 4" or 100mm X 100mm 2mm thick or Singh-Ray Resin 4" x 6'' or 100mm x 150mm and 2mm thick (Lee makes Pro Glass Versions in 2-stop, 3-stop and 10-stop) may be added to the holder and are used to slow your shutter-speed further, for longer exposures for waterfalls, rivers, and ocean surf.

5) Circular Polarizer 105mm: Round Version (105mm ring mounted to front of foundation kit, there is an additional mounting ring that must be purchased separately) or Square Version 4" x 4" (which is also a circular polarizer as opposed to a linear polarizer, the circular will work with AF) fits into a slot on holder to reduce reflections, also mounted closer to the lens in the holder, to further reduce the chance of vignetting. Turned in 90 degree increments only, so there is a little less fine tuning than the circular front ring holder mounted version.

Go ahead ask away!

[iND]

I just ordered the the kit (notice they sell a tandum adaptor if you want to mount two together, I think I will wait on this idea).

Ok adaptors: I will be using a 17-40, 24-70, 24 prime, and 70-200 all with a 77mm front mount

So I will be buying the WIDE 77 adaptor (but of course it is out of stock)

So you are saying that with the adaptor on my lens cap will not fit.
I have not been able to locate a LEE lens cap (can you give me a source)

So say I want to change locations and pack up.
Do I leave the adaptor ring on and the filter kit, remove the filter, and put the lens cap on. Or do I need to take the whole thing apart?
If so why not just take off the adaptor ring and not get another lens cap?

Do you have any trouble with the step up rings and the adaptor rings?

Thanks in advance

[Richard Lane]

Congrats on the purchase!

Correct, you don't need the tandem adapter.

They have the 82mm wide adapter with the 77mm-82mm step-up ring.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/87148-REG/LEE_Filters_WAR082_Adapter_Ring_82mm.html

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...p_up_Ring.html

They also have cheaper step-up rings if you want:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?Ntt=step-up+ring+77+82&N=0&InitialSearch=yes&sts=ma&ipp=100

The lens cap wont clip onto the wide adapter, but it will clip onto the standard adapter.

Also, if you're going to have a step-up ring, then the 77-82mm is a good one to have. If it was a weird size then I probably would have bought a cheaper one.

You can just unclick the foundation kit and unscrew the adapter ring and use a regular lens cap. I just wanted you to have all of the info, regarding regular vs. wide adapter rings. Some people like to leave the adapter rings on their lenses for convenience. The lee caps are back-ordered too.

No troubles at all, the step-up ring works perfectly!

[Richard Lane]

I just fixed the links!

The EF-S 10-22mm and the EF-24-105 f/4L IS are also 77mm.

But, the EF-16-35mm f/2.8L II is 82mm and the new EF-24-70mm f/2.8L II will also be 82mm, so the 82mm wide adapter with the 77mm-82mm step-up ring is a good way to go. So, the set-up I recommended above will work with all of the lenses you listed as well as the ones that I have listed.


Rich

[iND]

Great information

I decided to go with the 82mm adaptor ring and the 77-82 step up like you suggested.
Will allow for the other lens options at the 82mm thread.

Thank you for all your help.

Now I get to play with the great selection of filters.

My Visa thanks you also.

iND

[Dr Croubie]

Do the adapters come in 86mm?
Just curious, because I've got some MF glass, a 50mm f/4 (is about as wide as a 24mm on FF), with 86mm threads. Step-rings down to 72mm or smaller don't vignette even on FF, but one day when I buy an MF body i'm going to invest in a good filter system too.
Or what's the next size above this kit?

[Richard Lane]

Awesome, I'm glad I could help! You're getting a really nice set-up there!

Remember, that you could probably still use your current regular 77mm screw-in CPL on the front of your lens, (I would take off the UV filter if you use one) and then attach the step-up ring to the CPL, and then the wide adapter ring, and so on. Of course the wider the lens, then the greater the concern of vignetting on FF, as you start to use the slots further out on the foundation kit.

Edited:
Of course this setup is a little less convenient, because if you want to take off the CPL, then you have to remove the foundation kit, as opposed to using the round 105mm CPL $300 which screws into the optional front ring $52 of the foundation kit with it's own adapter ring, or Square 4"X4" CPL $189 which fits in a slot on the holder, with no extra mounting hardware to buy.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...er_Filter.html

and

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/218398-REG/LEE_Filters_FP105_Accessory_Front_Thread_Adapter.h tml


or this:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...zer_Glass.html


When you're ready to discuss filters just let me know!

Have Fun,
Rich

[Richard Lane]

Do the adapters come in 86mm?
Just curious, because I've got some MF glass, a 50mm f/4 (is about as wide as a 24mm on FF), with 86mm threads. Step-rings down to 72mm or smaller don't vignette even on FF, but one day when I buy an MF body i'm going to invest in a good filter system too.
Or what's the next size above this kit?

It appears they do make an 86mm adapter.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...Ring_86mm.html

I know Lee makes a Custom 150mm filter holder for the Nikon 12-24mm f/2.8 lens, accepts the wider 150mm x 170mm filters

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...older_Kit.html



There's also the Cokin Z-Pro Filter Holder for 49-96mm filter mounts, which takes 100mm x 150mm filters for some Medium Format:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/387303-REG/Cokin_CBZ100_Z_PRO_Filter_Holder_Requires.html


and the Cokin X-Pro Filter Holder for 62-112mm filter mounts, which takes larger 130mm X 170mm filters for some MF:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc..._Requires.html